23 State Senate sponsors for same-sex marriage bill

Twenty-three members of the Washington State Senate, two short of a majority, on Friday introduced legislation that would make Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage.

The sponsors include 21 Democrats and Republican State Sens. Steve Litzow and Cheryl Pflug, both from suburban King County districts.

Murray

“We cannot be assured our bill will pass, but we’re closer than ever to our shared goal of greater justice,” said State Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, the bill’s chief sponsor.

Murray has masterminded adoption of the state’s existing “everything but marriage” domestic partnership legislation, affirmed by Washington voters in 2009. But he cautioned in a KCTS Connects interview, airing Friday night, that it’s not yet time to break out the champagne on marriage.

Six Democratic state senators have not signed onto the legislation introduced Friday, and strongly supported by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Sen. Haugen hosted a raucous Whidbey Island town meeting last Saturday at which she was pressed by supporters of marriage equality. Haugen would promise only that she would vote to put the issue onto the state’s November ballot.

Dunn

Republicans are of many minds. Litzow, Pflug, and Attorney General candidate Reagan Dunn have endorsed same-sex parriage. Incumbent Attorney General Rob McKenna, the Republicans’ candidate for governor, told The Olympian’s editorial board on Thursday that he, too, favors the decision on same-sex marriage to the voters.

Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt told the recent Associated Press legislative conference that the Legislature should confine itself to the state’s budget crisis and not get sidetracked to “social issues.” The opinion has been echoed by Sen. Joe Zarelli, the GOP’s chief budget negotiator.

Murray argued that it is time to take the final step and legalize marriage.

“Saying, ‘We’re domestic partners’ is about legal rights,” he said. “Lesbian and gay couples, many with children, many of whom have been together for years, want to say, ‘We’re married.’ Because that’s the only word that describes their love, commitment and dedication to family.”

The legislation would allow same sex couples to receive a state marriage license. Churches and clergy would be left to decide for themselves whether to perform marriage ceremonies.

“All people deserve dignity and respect, and the bill we introduced today will offer equality to committed couples while acknowledging the deeply held beliefs of people of different faiths, traditions and viewpoints,” Murray said.

The last state to legalize same-sex marriage was New York, where last spring four Republican state senators joined with Democrats to pass the legislation. It was championed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, like Gregoire a Catholic.

The nose-counting in Olympia, where Democrats have a 27-22 majority in the Senate, is that pro-marriage equality stands by GOP Sens. Litzow and Pflug may produce a majority.